Last Modified: Wednesday, July 17, 2013 at 10:15 p.m.

Bernard, a lifelong resident of Thibodaux, spent more than 40 years maintaining the school's football field and baseball diamond, collecting game tickets at the gates and acting as an all around booster for the Athletic Department.

Because of his contributions, Bernard was one of the first three men named as a Cardinal Great, and he was inducted to the E.D. White Hall of Fame in 1988.

Bernard died Saturday at age 86.

Preston LeJeune, athletics director at the school, said he was close friends with Bernard for 35 years. He said Bernard dedicated most of his time to the Athletics Department and never asked for anything in return.

“Anything you needed done, Yockey did it,” LeJeune said. “His wife would joke that while Yockey was cutting the grass at E.D. White, she had to pay someone to cut their yard.”

Bernard, at one time, cut the grass every four days. He spent so much time on the football field, in fact, that the school named it after him in 2008.

He would occasionally make bus trips with the teams to their away games and go to the school every Sunday night to visit with the coaches while they reviewed plays and films for the next game.

““We're really going to miss him,” LeJeune said.

Matthew and Michael Bernard, two of Yockey's sons, said their father was, indeed, a sports fanatic. Yockey also enjoyed watching the New Orleans Saints, and to much surprise, the Tulane Green Wave.

“He was a big Tulane fan, which is unusual,” Matthew said. “We always joked that he raised us to be fans too.”

Before Yockey's retirement in 1992, he spent 29 years working in the Human Resource Department at McDermott International Inc., an engineering company in Amelia. When the company would purchase season tickets for different football teams, the Saints and LSU tickets would run out quickly.

“The Tulane tickets were left because nobody wanted them,” Michael said. “He would get 10 or 15 tickets, we'd hop in the station wagon, and he would take us to the games.”

If Yockey had any leftover tickets, he would give them to people outside of the stadium. “He would never sell them,” Michael added.

Yockey had a big heart and a big network of friends, they said. It seemed everywhere they went, their father knew someone.

He was a community figure and a family man. Yockey and his wife of 62 years, Beth Steiner Bernard, had eight children, 17 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

And all of them attended E.D. White. “Except Dad,” they said.

Yockey graduated from Thibodaux High School in 1945. In high school, he played basketball before he injured his knee. “He was pretty good, or so he told us,” Matthew said.

Yockey later joined the Army and was stationed in Germany for two years during World War II, but he never saw combat.

Upon his return, he attended the University of Southern Mississippi for three years with dreams of being a teacher and a coach, but he never graduated. Instead, he went to work for McDermott.

After a hearty professional career, he spent his retirement doing what he loved: volunteering with the Key Club at E.D. White, bowling with a league, spending time with his grandchildren and organizing local golf tournaments.

Yockey enjoyed sipping Old Fashions at the Red Goose Saloon in Thibodaux, calling people “pal” and listening to Frank Sinatra — his favorite performer — with his wife.

“A lot of people knew him, and we all have a lot of memories of him,” Matthew said. “He was a good dad.”

A memorial Mass was planned for Thursday at St. Genevieve Catholic Church in Thibodaux. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to St. Genevieve Elementary School or E.D. White Catholic High School.

Landry's Funeral Home in Thibodaux is in charge of the funeral arrangements.

<p>Raoul Joseph “Yockey” Bernard was E.D. White Catholic High School's biggest fan, and according to his accolades, the feeling was mutual.</p><p>Bernard, a lifelong resident of Thibodaux, spent more than 40 years maintaining the school's football field and baseball diamond, collecting game tickets at the gates and acting as an all around booster for the Athletic Department. </p><p>Because of his contributions, Bernard was one of the first three men named as a Cardinal Great, and he was inducted to the E.D. White Hall of Fame in 1988.</p><p>Bernard died Saturday at age 86.</p><p>Preston LeJeune, athletics director at the school, said he was close friends with Bernard for 35 years. He said Bernard dedicated most of his time to the Athletics Department and never asked for anything in return.</p><p>“Anything you needed done, Yockey did it,” LeJeune said. “His wife would joke that while Yockey was cutting the grass at E.D. White, she had to pay someone to cut their yard.”</p><p>Bernard, at one time, cut the grass every four days. He spent so much time on the football field, in fact, that the school named it after him in 2008.</p><p>“I don't know if anyone loved E.D. White more than Yockey did,” LeJeune said.</p><p>Bernard once said he had attended 195 straight football games.</p><p>He would occasionally make bus trips with the teams to their away games and go to the school every Sunday night to visit with the coaches while they reviewed plays and films for the next game.</p><p>““We're really going to miss him,” LeJeune said.</p><p>Matthew and Michael Bernard, two of Yockey's sons, said their father was, indeed, a sports fanatic. Yockey also enjoyed watching the New Orleans Saints, and to much surprise, the Tulane Green Wave. </p><p>“He was a big Tulane fan, which is unusual,” Matthew said. “We always joked that he raised us to be fans too.”</p><p>Before Yockey's retirement in 1992, he spent 29 years working in the Human Resource Department at McDermott International Inc., an engineering company in Amelia. When the company would purchase season tickets for different football teams, the Saints and LSU tickets would run out quickly.</p><p>“The Tulane tickets were left because nobody wanted them,” Michael said. “He would get 10 or 15 tickets, we'd hop in the station wagon, and he would take us to the games.”</p><p>If Yockey had any leftover tickets, he would give them to people outside of the stadium. “He would never sell them,” Michael added.</p><p>Yockey had a big heart and a big network of friends, they said. It seemed everywhere they went, their father knew someone.</p><p>“Anytime I say I'm a Bernard, someone says 'You must be Yockey's son,' ” Michael said.</p><p>He was a community figure and a family man. Yockey and his wife of 62 years, Beth Steiner Bernard, had eight children, 17 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.</p><p>And all of them attended E.D. White. “Except Dad,” they said.</p><p>Yockey graduated from Thibodaux High School in 1945. In high school, he played basketball before he injured his knee. “He was pretty good, or so he told us,” Matthew said.</p><p>Yockey later joined the Army and was stationed in Germany for two years during World War II, but he never saw combat.</p><p>Upon his return, he attended the University of Southern Mississippi for three years with dreams of being a teacher and a coach, but he never graduated. Instead, he went to work for McDermott.</p><p>After a hearty professional career, he spent his retirement doing what he loved: volunteering with the Key Club at E.D. White, bowling with a league, spending time with his grandchildren and organizing local golf tournaments.</p><p>Yockey enjoyed sipping Old Fashions at the Red Goose Saloon in Thibodaux, calling people “pal” and listening to Frank Sinatra — his favorite performer — with his wife. </p><p>“A lot of people knew him, and we all have a lot of memories of him,” Matthew said. “He was a good dad.”</p><p>A memorial Mass was planned for Thursday at St. Genevieve Catholic Church in Thibodaux. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to St. Genevieve Elementary School or E.D. White Catholic High School. </p><p>Landry's Funeral Home in Thibodaux is in charge of the funeral arrangements.</p>